Light-hearted press conference exchange

Top players such as Ana conduct upwards of 50 press conferences per year and inevitably questions about tennis can become somewhat repetetive. It is perhaps surprising, therefore, that some players appear irked when quizzed about trivial matters.

Ana is not one of them: she seems to enjoy such irreverence, as shown in the transcript below from this year's Australia Open.

The 24-year-old giggled her way through this exchange with a reporter from New Zealand:

Q. Serena got a bit scared of the insects out on court. Are you afraid of bugs at all?
ANA: No, no. More snakes. Or sharks. (Laughter.)

Q. So you played on a court with snakes?
ANA: No. Luckily growing up in Serbia we don't have too many. Not the dangerous ones. Although my dad found a really poisonous snake on th golf course when he was playing, the black one. I don't know the name.

Q. You swim in Australia, but you're still afraid of sharks?
ANA: Yeah, I am. But did you ever see me swim (laughter)? I swim in the water back and forth. I need to have someone further than me, then I feel safe.

Q. Marcos Baghdatis smashed four racquets last night in one minute. When is the last time you smashed a racquet, and have you ever smashed that many?
ANA: You might be surprised, but I do smash racquets sometimes. Last time I smashed not as many, but I smashed three racquets. That was the US Open, I think '09. I lost the match after being match point up. I was quite upset. It didn't really make me better, so I decided, 'what's the point?'

(More serious questions were asked before the light-hearted journalist asked the final question of the press conference)

Q. They say the world is going to end this year. What would you like to do before the world explodes?ANA: Just live it up. Live it up every day (laughter).